- "A person's a person, no matter how small!" -

Alert: #MOMPOST 

I don't make these kinds of posts very often, but today I am so super proud of Harper ...and her creativity ...and her love for Jesus and life ...and her super big heart ...and I just feel like boasting it loud[ly] and proud[ly]!  God broke the mold when he made this girl! <3

After entering a poster into the Respect Life Week art contest at her school, she ended up winning the K-2 category and being awarded a $50 gift card to any place of her choosing.

["A person's a person, no matter how small...and God wants us to love them all!" was her poster!]

She chose a Bath & Body Works gift card [after having a sniff into her cousins' lotion collections recently and discovering that there is a whole huge world of nice-smelling things that exist outside her mom's anti-chemical, anti-fragrance, anti-xenoestrogen ways!!!].  And! Bath & Body Works apparently has a great Black Friday sale where you can buy 3, get 3 free... But! I had to work on Black Friday from 7-11am, plus there are no B&BW stores close to our home... Although!  There is one large stand-alone B&BW store juuuust down the street from my work... AND SO!  Off to work with Momma this girl went!  Our alarm went off at 5:45, and we were up and dressed and ready to hit the ground running at 6:10am!

While I worked, Harper ate breakfast, sipped hot chocolate, read a few chapters of Junie B. Jones, and enjoyed a couple of HOURS [!!] of coveted, uninterrupted screen time [#cringeycringecringe]... And in no time at all, the clock struck 11am and we were outta there...

...and onnnnn to Bath & Body Works!!!  Harper had THE BEST time shopping and spraying/sniffing almost every single scent [at least once, if not twice], and I had the best time watching my big girl shop around and spoil herself with her shiny new gift card.  She also picked out a handful of things for Scarlett, which I thought was so nice of her!  The workers in the place all loved helping her and wanted to pose for a photo at the front door before we left with her loot! 

We escaped quickly after the photo shoot, because #holyheadache after not wearing fragrances for at least a decade and then sniffing ~200 in a matter of an hour, L to the O to the L, zomg.  

Brian was still gone with the little girls when we got home, and so Harper planned and executed a huge scavenger hunt full of little games/activities for Scarlett that ultimately led her to the bathroom where she had a Twisted Peppermint lotion gift waiting.  She wanted to give her one thing as soon as we got home and wrap up everything else for Christmas.

Goshhhhh, this girl and her HUGE HEART... I just know she's going places in life!  Meanwhile, we'll just be over here continuing to #respectlife and #smellgood while doing it!!! :)

Happy Black Friday, friends!

- May I love on MAY?! -

MAY!  The month we celebrate teachers [and Teacher Appreciation Week], nurses [and Nurse's Day], and Mary and all mothers [and Mother's Day].  <-- As if each one of those categories of fine humans don't deserve their own entire month or year of recognition, whoseeeeee idea was it to jam pack all 3 of them into the very same weekend??!  ...I digress.  

 But!  Sending all the love in the entire world to my kids' beautiful teachers...

...and a set of wonderful nurses I am blessed to work alongside... 

...and the nurse at our pediatrician's office who talks me through so many things over the phone...

...and a handful of mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and godmothers that we are SO LUCKY TO LOVE! 
{ H A P P Y   M O T H E R ' S    DAY ! ! ! }

Still May!  The month of long-awaited spring and new life and warm sunshine.  The month of graduations and goodbyes and new beginnings.

May, we're only 18 days deep into you, and you've certainly taken us for a ride around the block -- and a fast ride on two wheels with no seatbelts, at that!  So much to celebrate!  So much to still look forward to! 

Spring is here...

...summer is on the way...

...and the best is yet to come!  

I can't wait! 

 

- side.BY.side: Last Days of Work -

Last days of work before labor and delivery timeeeee!

Left: 39w3d with Harper [last L&D shift], 2015.

Center: 36w4d with Scarlett [last L&D shift], 2018.

Right: 38w3d with Juliette [last Veritas shift], 2021.

 

- Mr. & Mrs.! -

Congrats to this beautiful couple on tying the KNOT at the wedding of the century!  We had the most amazing time, and Jeanette, you were a drop-dead gorgeoussss bride!  I'm gonna miss my work pal/partner in crime/RN-2 for a week or so while you're honeymooning ;) :), but I hope you enjoy every second with your brand new husband! 

I've said it many times already, but for the sake of repetition I'll say it again:  marriage certainly looks good on you two!  Thank you so much for letting us be a part of your special day!!! <3

- Amazed in the Maze -

Going to a "legit" corn maze has been on my fall bucket list for at LEAST 10 years now, so when Lindsey and her family invited us to meet them at one last weekend I was s-t-o-k-e-d!  Harper gave Scarlett a good 'ole Halloween-themed crayola coloring pedicure in honor of the event, and then we snagged Brian from the new house and were off for an afternoon of fall family fun!

Doing something fall-ish AND having time with Daddy?! Is this even real life???!!! Yes, yessss it is.

Admittedly, the corn crib was a bigger hit for the kids than the actual corn maze was, but we didn't mind! Corn digging and playing for the kids means plenty of talking and reminiscing for the adults who were happily parked on the sidelines.

Thanks for the invite, Lindsey and Steve! We loved catching up with you and will most definitely have to get together again sometime soon! :-* 

- Drive-In -

A full day of working at the house calls for a full night of fun at our hometown drive-in! Lion King, here we come!

After hitting up the snack bar, Harper enjoyed making friends with all the neighboring vehicles and Scarlett stayed busy stuffing popcorn in her mouth by the fistful [call 'da police -- this was the first time a kernel ever touched her lips and there was no chance we were gonna keep it from her without suffering through a full blown screaming/flailing meltdown at the theater!].  

Throwing chairs and blankets and snacks in the bed of my dad's truck was one of my favorite childhood memories [and let's be honest, growing up and having a date at the drive-in in the bed of my high school boyfriend's truck wasn't too shabby either!]. I totally loved being able to share this wonderful past time with my kiddos! 

As evidenced by her wardrobe, we had high hopes that Scarlett would fall asleep quickly after the show started at 8:40pm... Alas, she was the last one standing and marched her way back to the car at 10:45pm with a belly full of popcorn and teddy grahams. Win, is winning, won, has won...everything about this night was a huge success in my book! 

And now....on with the show! 

- Dirty THIRTY! -

...from the beginning! 

I was scheduled for PTO on my birthday, so I slyly assumed I'd be successful in brushing my 30th birthday riiiight under the rug...

...but nope! Those crazy co-workers; they'll getcha every time!  I clocked into work on my "birthday eve" to a day of craziness, and I can't even say I was mad about it.  Gifts and lunch and even a very special [very small] visitor to top it off?!  30 isn't shaping up to be so bad, after all!  Love these gals and their hearts of gold. <3

We put the [water-filled] wine goblet riiiiight to use that evening: 

The next day started with boisterous "HAPPY BIRTTTTHDAY" singing followed by pancakes and a pile of gifts. Harper was so excited to watch me open a pair of sunglasses and a porcelain blue cereal bowl that she picked out at Target "for our apples" [??]!  And then...*drumroll*...A NEW MACBOOK PRO!!!!!! The good ole' laptop from 2009 had been circling the drain for years and was just seconds away from taking the final plunge, so it goes without saying that I was SO SO excited when I opened this new jewel!  Thank youuuuu, Brian!!! Best. Birthday. Ever.

After breakfast, Grammy arrived and we quickly dashed out.  Just the two of us...on a DAY DATE [!!!]...picking out lights and countertops for the new house...YAS PLZ. Best birthday ever is getting even better!

[More to come on this later!]

Menards was the final afternoon stop, and I enjoyed a short nap in the furniture section while Brian shopped for little electrical things and gas line fitments [?]... #thisis30

Then!  Home for Dewey's pizza and strawberry jello poke cake [beautifully and lovingly baked and iced by a very proud 4-year-old].

Scarlett isn't mad about all these springtime birthdays and the sugary goods that come along with them!

Oh man, I'm exhausted just trying to recount all these festivities! I feel like I've finally hit the age that I used to think was "SO OLD!" ...But it's not really 30 if I still feel 20, #amiright?!  I'm a little bit wrinklier, but also quite a bit wiser; and I wouldn't erase the life lessons I've learned or re-route the road I've walked to get where I stand today for anything!  Special thanks to my co-workers [AKA my second family] for the fully-decorated office followed by lunch on my birthday eve, and of course to my [real] family for all the spoiling and fun times as I celebrated THIRTY!!!  

This life is a treasure and I'm blessed beyond measure!

- "THE BEST DAY EVER!" -

For the last 6 months or so, a sheer curtain of anxiety + depression dangled over me every time the thought of working Christmas came to mind.  2018 was my year to clock-in for the absolute worst, always dreaded 7a-7p Christmas Day nursing shift, and OH. THE. GUILT! 

Because........ How do you explain to a 3-year-old where Mommy would be when everyone woke up on Christmas morning?  And missing the entire 14+ hours of Scarlett and her excitement and awe and sweetness on her very first Christmas...oyyyy ugh rawr.

But not a single nurse volunteered to make a holiday trade [rightfully so, I suppose!], so we adjusted our family's schedule and "bumped up Christmas Day" onto Christmas Eve...

...and no one seemed to mind at all! There was a few hours to play with new babies and Barbies and EVEN a really cool Barbie Dream House before heading off to Christmas Eve Mass at our parish.

We may or may not be in trouble with this sassy girl!

Then! Before I even had time to sit back and dread it, Christmas morning at 5:30am rolled around and I headed into work....... And actually, it wasn't that bad at all! Lots of Christmas JOY for being able to share and celebrate this special holiday with friends who [over the many years!] have very certainly become family. We had a great day delivering lots of little miracles! And plus, dolla dolla bills -- in the form of "time and a half!" -- stackin' up in 'da bank? Don't mind if I do! :)

 

Meanwhile, it doesn't even look like my kids missed me at all! 

The next day [December 26] was filled with a combo of relaxing, playing, and Harper running all around yelling, "THE BEST DAY EVER!" on repeat.

Merry Christmas, all! Here's to joy, peace, and all the things that Christmas brings.....and to next year and not having to reschedule these things! :D